Nine-in-a-row starts today

By Joe McHugh

Neil Lennon takes his first steps into management today when Celtic's reserve side faces Albion Rovers in the annual Jock Stein Friendship Cup.

2009 Reserve League Champions at Ibrox video

The greatest manager that the game has ever known, who turned a team into European Cup winners in just over two years, will be celebrated when the two Scottish teams that he played for meet up at Cliftonhill.

For Lennon it's the next inevitable step in the management business after being the most decorated Celtic player of his generation.

Gordon Strachan brought Lennon back to Celtic in March 2008, less than a year after his playing career ended, as Celtic dramatically clinched the title on the final day of the specially extended season against Dundee United.

Being a No. 2 or No.3 can be either a cushy number or thankless task depending on results but it's important for an aspiring manager to establish himself independently rather than being forever associated as part of the furniture trailing around two steps behind 'the boss'.

SPECULATION

There was some speculation, probably well founded, that Lennon may not fit in with the new management team of Tony Mowbray, Mark Venus and Peter Grant with Stockport County interested in seeing if Lennon was ready to start off as a manager in his own right.

Retaining Lennon provides Mowbray with an insight into the current Celtic dressing room and the lowdown on SPL opponents which could be priceless in the early months of the season.

Lennon, like any former Celt involved in management, would love one day to become manager of the club but knows that that incredible honour is given to few and is never decided on sentiment with various factors, circumstances and timing deciding who gets the call to lead Celtic.

After more than a season as first team coach Lennon steps out as a manager today at Albion Rovers with the difficult task of managing the reserves in a very uncertain climate.

Even before the crash of Setanta there were threats against the Reserve League with short sighted clubs squealing about the costs of fielding a team for 22 games a season!

INVESTMENT

With all the supposed investment in youth football going on throughout the game it shouldn't be too much of a burden for clubs to arrange three games a month to field first team fringe players and the best of their emerging talents.

Celtic have made the Reserve League their own over the last eight seasons whilst also being the dominant force in first team football. Those facts are not accidental.

Providing a platform for frustrated or injured first team players to return to top team action and another stepping stone forward for youth prospects is the main priority of the reserve side. And winning.

Predicting the make up of the reserve team is virtually impossible with 40 plus players likely to be used over the season.

UJPEST

The better players are likely to be sent out on loan with Ujpest Dozsa a likely destination while we'll soon find out if Tony Mowbray is as keen as Gordon Strachan to loan players out in the SPL where Cillian Sheridan, Paul McGowan, Scott Cuthbert and Paul Caddis spent the second part of last season.

Jason Marr and Danny Lafferty stepped comfortably into reserve team football last season where they formed the backbone of the title winning side alongside Paddy McCourt and Mark Millar.

Marr and Lafferty should continue with the reserves whilst it may be time for Millar and McCourt to move out on loan at the end of August if they aren't in and around the first team, Niall McGinn and Koki Mizuno could also be in that position.

Lennon's task is to keep these players motivated knowing that in all honesty playing for the reserves isn't what is required at this stage of their career.

Anything beyond two season's of reserve team football is of little use to players or coaches, the journey forward begins today at Albion Rovers as the new season gets underway.